Untethered
by JoBabeAlly
Summary: A captive Waterbender tied to a tree. A desperate Fire Nation prince at the end of his tether. Something was bound to give…and it wasn't going to be Katara's ropes. Dark!Zuko, NOT for kiddies.


**Untethered**

_WARNING. Non-con. Don't like, don't read. Really truly meant for an "M" audience. You've been warned. A really dark plot bunny burrowed into my brain and refused to leave until I committed this to paper…er, computer screen. Whatever. It's dark and twisted and wrong and this is my way of getting it out of my head and into yours. (Insert evil chuckle here)_

An AU for "The Waterbending Scroll"

_Note: Just gonna pretend the pirates aren't around, that it's just Zuko and Katara, alone in the forest while Aang and Sokka snooze away, all unaware. Cause I can._

* * *

**Katara**

She was tied to a tree. The evil Fire Nation jerkface had tied her to a tree. Tied her there and then tried to trade Aang's life for her mother's necklace. Unbelievable. She replayed his words over in her mind as she stared at him. _"I need to capture the Avatar to regain something I've lost: my honor. Perhaps in exchange I can give you something you've lost."_

She couldn't stop staring at him. Really? He thought she'd be willing to give up a human being's life just for a _necklace_? Sure, it was her mother's necklace, sure it meant a lot to her, but compared to a human life? _Really_?

Some of her incredulity must have shown on her face because his scowl returned. "Well?" he asked, obviously impatient for her answer, clenching the choker's blue ribbon in his hand as his scowl deepened.

"That's my mother's necklace," she said after a painful internal debate on how much to say to Prince Jerkface, head bowed as if in defeat. "It means a lot to me, more than almost anything, and I'd give almost anything to get it back." She raised her head and met Zuko's eyes, glaring her defiance. "But _not_ the Avatar's life."

The fury in his gaze was as palpable as the heat of his body as he came closer, holding the necklace up in front of her face before stuffing it into a pocket or pouch, something near his waist that Katara couldn't see well enough to identify in the darkness.

He studied her for a long moment; she could practically see the wheels turning in his mind as he realized his brilliant plan wasn't going to work. She started to tell him he might as well let her go since she was never going to do what he wanted when a slow smile spread across his face. She felt a chill go up her spine at that smile; it boded no good for her. No good at all.

Nor did the way he leaned closer still, his lips almost touching her ear as he purred: "Would you be willing to trade _your_ honor?"

Katara slanted her gaze toward him, puzzled. Her _honor_? What kind of honor did he think she had? Certainly none in the way he kept going on about, the honor of restoring himself back to his father's good graces. She was just a peasant, as he'd so loudly proclaimed on more than one occasion. A stupid girl from the stupid Southern Water Tribe who was nothing more to him than a means to an end, that end being Aang's capture.

So if he thought there was something he could do to dishonor her, something she'd be willing to trade Aang for…he had another think coming, that was all she had to say about it.

And so she did, in a vehement hiss. "I wouldn't trade him to you for _anything_!"

**Zuko**

Zuko's fury could hardly be contained; nor could his incredulity. Did the stupid peasant really not understand what he was threatening to do to her? How could she possibly not get it? He knew her brother and the Avatar had to be somewhere in the forest, somewhere nearby; there was no way she'd been wandering around by herself before deciding to stop and practice her Bending. No, there had to be a camp nearby, and if he could just get her to scream for help, then her companions were bound to show up to rescue her. All he had to do then was hold one of his swords to her throat and demand that the Avatar surrender himself and it would all be over. Done. He could finally go home, proving to himself and his father and everyone else that he was worthy of one day becoming Fire Lord.

Proving that his bitch of a sister wasn't the best choice after all.

Fortunately Azula wasn't around to interfere, to trip him up and make him look stupid the way she'd always managed to do at home. No, it was just him and a very pretty girl he'd tied to a tree, and now he had to make her understand what he was talking about. Either she'd agree and lead him to the Avatar or else she'd scream her head off and bring him and her brother running to find her.

Either way, he won.

With slow, deliberate motions, Zuko reached for his belt and loosened it. He stepped back just enough so that his captive could see exactly what he was doing, although the puzzlement in her eyes increased rather than fading, her brows slanting inward as he allowed the belt to drop to the ground.

When he yanked his armored breastplate over his head and dropped it to the ground next to his belt, her eyes widened in sudden, belated recognition of what he was doing. What he was threatening to do to her.

He thought she went a bit pale, although in the darkness and with her coloring it was impossible to tell; perhaps his brain was just filling in what his eyes were missing. At least he'd finally taken the right tack; threatening her presumed virginity was far more likely to produce results than simply dangling a stupid choker in front of her.

Like she'd said; it was just a piece of jewelry, nothing compared to a human life. Or something like that.

He could feel his heartbeat accelerating as he reached out and stroked his fingers along her cheek. She flinched away; good. She was scared, although she was doing her damndest to put a brave face on things, once again glaring at him as if her eyes alone could harm him. But he could see the way her chin was trembling, and that flinch spoke volumes.

"Well?" he asked in a husky drawl, running his finger along the shell of her ear and smiling at her involuntary shudder. "What about now, hm? Ready to bargain?"

"You're nothing but a lowlife pig-dog," she hissed back defiantly. "You want to restore your honor so badly? If this is what you're willing to stoop to, it isn't _worth_ restoring!"

Unexpectedly he felt a surge of arousal at her angry words, and it gave him pause. This was supposed to be a game, a bluff, a way to make her finally do what he wanted. But what if even this wasn't threat enough? What if he actually had to go through with it?

It was with equal parts terror and exhilaration that he realized that yes, if he had to, he would, indeed, be capable of going through with it; the growing discomfort in his pants told him that much. But it wouldn't come to that. He was in control here; he held the upper hand. She would do what he wanted her to do; the threat was going to be more than enough to ensure that

And if it wasn't? He pushed the thought away. It would be. It _had_ to be.

He just needed to get her to either trade the Avatar for her virginity or scream loudly enough to bring him to their side. All she had to do was say yes, or scream…

She spat at him, and with a surge of anger at her continued defiance he lost every vestige of control. He felt his anger surging, overwhelming caution and common sense and everything else. His hand curled, steam rising, and he had just enough control not to set her clothes on fire.

With an animalistic growl he dashed the wet streaks from his face before grabbing her by the shoulders and pulling her to him for a brutal, demanding kiss.

For the first time in his young life, lust overwhelmed everything else, fueled by anger and resentment and Spirits help him, desperation. Propelled by the terror that he was never going to be able to restore his honor and return home, goaded beyond reason by this stupid girl's continued defiance even in the face of overwhelming odds, he finally snapped.

**Katara**

_Oh Spirits, La, help me!_ Katara's thoughts were a frantic flight of birds, wheeling and turning in fear of a predator, scattering to the winds when she tried to hold onto her panic and tamp it down into something manageable.

She shouldn't have spit on him; that seemed to be the final straw, the catalyst that turned threat into action. But what else could she have done? She had to make him understand that there was no way she could ever betray Aang to him, not for a necklace, not to spare herself the pain and horror of what was about to happen to her.

She didn't have a name for it; no one had ever told her the word for a man forcing himself on a woman. It happened, but it was never spoken of, at least not back home. Surely he was just bluffing; she'd thought he was bluffing, but now, the way he pressed himself against her, forcing his tongue into her mouth, the way his hands were pawing at her breasts through her clothing, bringing a flush of shame to her cheeks…no, he wasn't bluffing.

He was going to force himself on her.

He was talking, having finally broken that brutal invasion of her mouth, muttering as he raised one hand, index finger pointed skyward, a single flame dancing above his flesh. "This is your own damned fault, peasant!" The finger moved until it pointed straight at her chest, and she wondered in renewed panic if he was going to kill her instead.

But no, the flame burned a line down the center of her tunic, singeing deep enough to weaken the fabric of her breast bindings but not deeply enough to burn. "I wasn't…but you made me…" His words degenerated into incoherent growls as he allowed the flame to go out, reaching with both hands to wrench the weakened fabric apart, exposing her breasts to the night air…and his hot gaze.

She closed her own eyes and turned her head to the side as he leaned forward and began sucking greedily first at one nipple, then the other. She tried not to allow the first tear to slip from her eye; once that one fell, who knew how many others would follow? And she refused to cry, damn it, not in front of him. He would never know how humiliated, how terrified she was.

He would never make her scream, no matter how badly he wanted her to. No matter the lengths he was willing to go to in order to make her do so.

She would never give him anything he wanted. Not now, not ever, not for a thousand necklaces.

Not even for her virginity.

He was fumbling at her belt, undoing it, impatience and lust making his fingers clumsy, but managing nonetheless. After that she felt his hands on the waistband of her trousers, and her face burned with shame as he yanked them down around her ankles. That left only her bindings between them, and he was quick to use his Bending to burn away the knot that tied them in place.

She tried, only once, to reason with him. "Prince Zuko, please, don't do this!" But he was too far gone, perhaps not even able to hear her pleading words. At any rate, he ignored them completely, pressing hot fingers against her pubic mound, reaching inward to probe at her folds. She shrank away from his touch, not that she could go far; she was still tied to a tree, after all. But her body did its best to evade his touch, and she realized that the distracting sound she was hearing was her own voice, mewling in terror but nowhere near loud enough to catch Aang or Sokka's attention.

He released her suddenly, and she felt her heart leap in her chest; had he come to his senses, changed his mind? But no, he was merely fumbling at the waistband of his own trousers, undoing them, letting them drop around his knees. Katara kicked out at him, but he blocked her easily, even in the darkness. She thought she heard a low chuckle escape his lips, but could barely hear anything over the pounding of her heart.

This was going to happen. He was going to put his manhood into her, take the one thing that belonged to her and no one else and destroy her future. All out of some misguided sense of "honor."

She almost screamed as he pressed against her, rubbing his naked groin against hers and moaning in pleasure as he did so. Almost, but not quite; she clamped her lips shut before the scream could escape. No matter what, she had to keep her brother and Aang from being taken prisoner or worse.

She had to keep them safe, and if the price of their safety was her virginity, then so be it.

**Zuko**

His thoughts were a jumble, hazy and confused and damn, who needed thoughts anyway? Not tonight, he didn't. All he needed was action; since the Waterbending bitch wouldn't give him what he'd been willing to trade for, he'd take what he wanted—what he _burned_ for—instead.

A part of him stood aside and marveled at how overwhelming the body's needs could be, while the rest of him went completely animal and took over. He pulled his aching manhood out of his pants and rubbed up against Katara's mound, moaning in delight at the feel of her naked form beneath his. He'd never done it standing up before; hell, he'd never done it with a bound prisoner before, and both things just excited him even more.

He reached down and pressed his fingers against her outer folds. He heard a muffled yelp and smiled to himself. She was dry now, but he knew ways to make even the most reluctant girl wet enough to take him in. He pulled his hand away and practically salivated at the thought of what he was about to do.

He knew she was expecting him to just thrust himself into her, and although part of him really, really, _really_ wanted to do just that, he managed to control himself. _Just a little longer_, he counseled himself as he slowly got down on his knees.

His night-adjusted eyes focused on the dark thatch of hair between her smooth, tanned legs. She was trying to press her knees together, but not bothering to kick out at him again. Smart girl. Slowly, insistently, he pried her legs apart until she was straddling his body. She let out another small whimper as he carefully pried her outer folds open, fully exposing her womanhood to his view.

When he leaned forward and licked her pussy, he thought she would jump right out of her skin. "Stop moving," he growled, pinching her leg above the knee. She gasped aloud, then fell silent again. He guessed she was biting her lip, trying not to scream, and smiled to himself again as he returned his attention to her female center. There wasn't a woman alive, his father had advised him the year before his exile, who could resist the feel of a man's lips and tongue on her private parts. Then he'd demonstrated before Zuko's embarrassed and titillated eyes, calling one of his youngest concubines into the room and going down on her right then and there.

Zuko doubted the peasant would get as much pleasure out of this encounter as Su Lin had, but he was going to wet her up as best he could. His throbbing dick was practically screaming for a slick entrance.

**Katara**

Katara gasped as the Fire Nation prince unexpectedly slipped to his knees, nudging her legs further apart and pressing his hands against her female parts. She braced herself for more fingering, then gasped and flinched as she felt instead the warm wetness of his tongue against her folds.

She stood still when he pinched her leg and ordered her to do so, terrified that he would try and hurt her more if she didn't. What if he decided it would be better to just beat her until she screamed for mercy? At least this way she could keep herself quiet.

Well, mostly quiet. A whimper escaped her throat when he dipped his head between her legs again and pressed his finger tips against her folds, spreading her open but not painfully wide, the way he had the first time.

She managed to keep herself from jerking when his tongue slid into her, but she wasn't prepared for how…good…it felt. He'd seemed so out of control at first, as if he was simply going to shove himself into her when she knew darn well that she'd be bone-dry and as unready for a man as any woman could be. But now he was taking his time, swirling his tongue around her, delving deep within her, and occasionally reaching up with his thumb to flick her clit.

She hadn't been expecting to feel anything but pain, had braced herself for that, and was completely unprepared for the pleasure he seemed suddenly determined to wring out of her.

Certainly she wouldn't be able to hide it from him, not when she felt the building moisture between her legs that had nothing to do with his hot tongue. And she definitely couldn't stop the moans from escaping her throat as he eased a finger into her, moving his tongue up so it licked her clit, somehow finding exactly the right spot to force a loud gasp of pleasure from between her lips.

He continued to lick and suck at her, finger moving in and out in a hypnotic pattern—no, not just one finger, surely that was two she felt sliding inside her, friction building, a sense of mounting pressure in her lower abdomen, the sense that an explosion of some kind was imminent? She'd never been very good at pleasuring herself; somehow she'd never managed to find the right spot, the one he'd already navigated so expertly.

_What the hell is wrong with you, Katara?_ she asked herself angrily even as she felt the pressure growing, the sense of anticipation so dizzying in its intensity. _He's got you tied to a tree, he's just doing this to make it easier on himself! He wants you to scream so Aang and Sokka will come running! Get a grip!_

Her body ignored her frantic thoughts, and another moan tore its way free of her throat. Zuko's fingers continued to move, faster, deeper, almost pressing against her maidenhead, then pulling back, flicking, teasing, taunting, bringing her closer and closer as his talented tongue massaged her clit, swirling around it, licking it, his lips coming closer so he could suck it into his mouth…

With a low cry, Katara felt wave after wave of pleasure come crashing over her. Her legs trembled and nearly buckled from the intensity of her release, only Zuko's hands on her thighs keeping her upright.

When the waves finally ebbed and the tide of pleasure had subsided to small tremors rocking her body, she opened eyes she hadn't realized she'd closed, only to find Zuko's face inches away from hers.

**Zuko**

Holy crap, she was actually getting into it. Zuko couldn't believe how wet she was getting beneath his tongue and fingers, how the moans and gasps that were escaping her lips could never be mistaken for anything but what they were; the sounds of a woman being pleasured. And when she came, crying out too softly for anyone outside their immediate vicinity to hear, he felt a rush of satisfaction. He'd brought her off, made her come, even while tied to a tree.

_Now_. The word rang through his mind as he staggered to his feet, panting as heavily as if he'd been the one who just had an orgasm. His dick throbbed as if to remind him that no, he hadn't had that pleasure yet, and would he please get on with it?

He stared at the peasant, her face bathed in sweat, eyes clenched tightly shut, lower lip caught up in her teeth. She was trembling in the aftermath of her orgasm, and he felt a surge of desire sweep through him again as his body demanded to be satisfied. _Now_.

She opened her eyes and stared at him, blue gaze meeting amber, her expression one part sated and one part bewildered. Before she could get up the energy to try and fight him, he lifted her left leg and hauled it over his thigh, reaching down with his free hand to guide himself into her, plunging in and out several times in rapid succession until he felt her barrier give way, then easing himself further inside.

It was his turn to close his eyes, to fight down a dizzying sense of utter bliss. He'd fucked other girls, some of them virgins, but for some reason—maybe because it was the first time he'd ever had to force one?—this time felt…different. Better. She was tight and wet and sheathed his dick like they were made for each other.

That thought brought him up short; he wasn't _making love_ to his latest conquest, he was _raping_ this Water Tribe peasant because she refused to give up the Avatar.

With a low growl he pushed himself more fully inside her, and she let out a squeak. Good. He was hurting her, damn it, that was the point of all this, he had to remember that. He was punishing her, not rewarding her, not sharing himself with her. He'd given her pleasure only to make things easier on himself. He pulled back and slammed into her, but instead of crying out or turning her head aside or bursting into tears, she had leaned her head back and was gasping as if it felt as good for her to be encasing him as it felt for him to be inside her.

**Katara**

Oh Spirits, what was _wrong_ with her? How could she possibly still be feeling so good when Prince Jerkface had just forced himself into her body, pounding away at her until she felt her maidenhead crack and give beneath his insistent movements? How could it only hurt for that one instant, an instant that was swept away by a growing tide of what she could only call _want_?

Dimly she realized that her arms were suddenly free; he'd untied her, when? How? _Firebending, stupid_, a part of her mind scolded her, then added with a distinct purr: _He really is hot stuff, isn't he._

She shook her head to clear such traitorous thoughts away, but it was no good. Especially when her hands, tingling from returning circulation, reached up and pressed themselves against the back of his head. Then their lips met, mouths crashing together, tongues dueling in a way she'd never experienced before but never wanted to stop experiencing now.

He was still holding her thigh up against his as he continued to thrust into her, but her own hips were moving as well, and she moaned into his mouth as his free hand reached out and grasped her breast, thumb flicking over the nipple and causing it to tauten into a hard little nub. She moaned again and nipped at Zuko's lower lip, then gasped as he pulled his head away and whirled her around before dropping her to the leaf-strewn forest floor.

**Zuko**

As if in a dream, Zuko allowed a flame to flicker into life at the tips of the fingers on his free hand. All his rage had vanished, leaving only the desire that had started this whole mess. Desire for the beautiful girl he was currently fucking, with her exotic blue eyes and darkly tanned skin and long brown hair…He reached around and burned through the ropes holding her to the tree, freeing her arms. Instead of pushing him away or trying to escape, she reached up and put her hands on the back of his head and drew him down for a hungry, lingering kiss, nipping at his lower lip as she did so.

He dimly realized that her hips were now thrusting against his, and he felt her moan into his mouth as he caressed her breast with his free hand. She moaned again as he rubbed his thumb against her nipple, and he felt the pressure mounting inside himself; he was going to come pretty soon, and with that realization came another: he wanted to be lying on top of her when he did, not standing up against the rough bark of the tree he'd tied her to.

He spun her around; her eyes opened in surprise, but without breaking the rhythm they'd somehow established, he pulled her to the ground, resting on his elbows above her so as not to crush her with his weight. There was a bit of a wrestling match as he struggled to fully remove both their footwear and trousers, then he was back on top of her, pounding into her furiously as he felt himself getting nearer and nearer to his climax.

"Oh, Spirits," he muttered, "that's…yeah, perfect…"

"Perfect," she echoed, eyes clenched shut again, fingers digging into his shoulders, hips bucking beneath him, so tight, so perfect, Spirits, yes, so perfect…

He came with a muffled roar, somehow not surprised to feel her clenching around him and crying out at almost the same instant.

Look at that, he'd brought her off again. A new personal best, twice in one night with the same girl.

When he finally managed to pry open his tightly-shut eyes, he found her studying him, looking up at him with those gorgeous blue eyes, a sort-of smile on her kiss-bruised lips. "I don't even know your name," he blurted out, then clamped his mouth shut, mortified. Some big, bad rapist he was, sounding stupid and apologetic instead of arrogant and superior now that the deed was done.

The sort-of smile became a shy grin. "Katara," she said simply, and Zuko realized that he was hopelessly lost. How the hell had that happened?

_I can't even rape a girl properly_, he told himself. _Maybe Father's right, maybe I don't have what it takes to be Fire Lord_. But instead of twisting him into depression, the thought gave him a giddy sense of relief.

He eased himself out of Katara (what a great name, as pretty as she was) and rested on his side, head propped up on his hand as he continued to regard her. "What the hell was that?"

She shook her head, flashing a guilty look over her shoulder as if she expected someone to be watching them. "I—I don't know," she admitted. "But we'd better figure it out before I decide whether or not to let you meet Aang and my brother Sokka."

He raised a haughty eyebrow. "What do you mean, 'let me' meet them?" he demanded, every inch the arrogant Prince who'd made her his prisoner. Then his lips curved in a smile as he leaned down to grab his belt. The smile wasn't evil, but she gave him a wide-eyed stare as if expecting him to do something nasty with it. Her expression morphed into an equally wide-eyed stare of disbelief as he gave her back her necklace. "I think this belongs to you," he mumbled, suddenly shy.

She took it with a grateful kiss. "Thank you. It was my mother's, it's all I have of hers. She's dead," she added by way of partial explanation.

Probably dead because of the Fire Nation, he thought, then put it aside for another day; now was definitely not the time to get into a discussion about their dead mothers. But someday… "Look, I know you think I've been obsessed with finding the Avatar, and maybe I have." She raised an eyebrow and he shrugged. "OK, so I _definitely _have. But it was the only way I knew how to restore my honor, at least, the only way my father would accept. But maybe…" he fumbled for the right words. "Maybe it's time I figure out for myself if turning him over to my father is really the right thing to do."

She regarded him for a long moment, her expression serious. "Maybe you should," she agreed, then a devilish smile curved her lips and she reached out to caress his unscarred cheek. "Later."

"Later," he agreed, leaning down to capture a heated kiss.

Fuck his honor. All he wanted right now was to shag this girl senseless—and have her return the favor.

* * *

_Author's Note: Yeah, I know. This one was all over the place. But that's what plot bunnies do, they hop around and make a mess of your brain. Actually, now that I think about it, this was less of a plot bunny and more like the vorpal rabbit from "Monty Python and the Holy Grail." Yeah - "Look at the bones!" R&R but flames are not welcome. I warned everyone in advance that this was dark and dirty and NOT politically correct in any way, shape or form. (And yeah, I'm female and wrote this. Sue me.)_


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